Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has accused Western powers of attempting to orchestrate a coup in Georgia, citing recent violent protests following the October 4 municipal elections. He claimed that certain ambassadors were directly “inciting violence” and that foreign-backed NGOs had funneled "hundreds of millions" into destabilizing efforts, reports RT.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kaladze alleged a months-long foreign campaign aimed at toppling the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has resisted calls to confront Russia over the Ukraine conflict. “A coordinated effort for a coup d’état has been underway, funded and supported by foreign actors,” Kaladze said.
The remarks came a day after U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen accused Georgian authorities of silencing dissent and targeting opposition figures. Kaladze dismissed the criticism, saying the senators were acting under the influence of what he called the “Global War Party.”
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze echoed these sentiments earlier in the week, accusing the opposition of serving as “foreign agents” supported by external powers.
Protests erupted last weekend as election results showed a strong lead for Georgian Dream. The demonstrations quickly escalated into clashes with police and renewed accusations of voter fraud — similar to unrest following the October 2024 national elections. Protesters have also criticized the government for allegedly stalling Georgia’s bid to join the EU, an allegation officials firmly reject.
The European Union has publicly supported many of the recent demonstrators. Prime Minister Kobakhidze compared the unrest to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan revolution, alleging that foreign intelligence services were behind the current movement in Georgia.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
